Yip Harburg. You should know him.

[SusanCalvin]

On another thread, my Magic 8-Ball of a brain threw up a number from _Finian's Rainbow_, which got me thinking about Yip in general.

Not just _Wizard of Oz_.

Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg, Yiddish: איסידור הוכברג?; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," "April in Paris," and "It's Only a Paper Moon," as well as all of the songs in The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow." He was known for the social commentary of his lyrics, as well as his liberal sensibilities. He championed racial and gender equality and union politics. He also was an ardent critic of religion.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yip_Harburg

http://yipharburg.com/

https://ffrf.org/news/day/famous-freethinkers-secular-stars/spotlight/item/14286-e-y-yip-harburg

https://m.

(This vid won't embed. Click - it's worth it.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aZnXnRq81rA

[KamaAina]

1. There!

https://m.

&feature=player_embedded

[SusanCalvin]

2. Woot! Thanks!

Oops, still didn't embed, but you got the preview, which I didn't.

[Warpy]

3. He was blacklisted for years

and one of the things that convinced me that the whole point of the Red Scare was to eliminate all the real talent in Hollywood so that a bunch of no talent hacks like Reagan would have a chance. Movies certainly started to stink in the late 1940s and have never recovered completely, the good screenwriters and lyricists having departed for greener pastures elsewhere.

[SusanCalvin]

4. Dunno about "greener pastures."

Did many find work other than under pseudonyms?

Thanks for bringing it up - I had not realized that Ring Lardner, another of my favs, was one of the "Hollywood 10."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Lardner_Jr.

He worked on a film called _Brotherhood of Man_? Magic 8-Ball, do your stuff!

https://m.

[Warpy]

5. Greener than sitting in Hollywood and waiting for the phone to ring.

Actors like Zero Mostel left for New York, where they weren't as fussy about old commies. I read that a few of the lesser writers turned to fiction. Trumbo is the main one who continued to write and be hired under an alias until Kirk Douglas put his foot down and said no picture unless he got full credit for "Spartacus," thus pretty much ending the blacklisting of the others, also.

I was a little kid during the whole thing but my parents were the first on the block with a TV so they could watch the hearings and maybe have a little advance notice of the knock on the door. The fear back then was pervasive, all it took was some idiot with a grudge making a phone call and your life could be ruined by cops and FBI showing up all over the place, alienating your friends and getting you fired at the job. I don't remember the speeches, I do remember the fear. To this day, I have a block against signing anything political.

[SusanCalvin]

7. Yep, it's the emotion you remember.

And one person with clout can do a lot of good.

[SusanCalvin]

6. Speaking of _How to Succeed_, Ruth Kobart.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Kobart

[valerief]

8. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? has amazing lyrics (as well as an engaging melody).

[SusanCalvin]

9. All Yip's stuff was great.

I must say, I just today realized he wrote "April in Paris."

[valerief]

10. "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Down With Love," "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe,"

"Old Devil Moon," all incredible songs

For folks who've never heard them, I have You Tube links below.

It's Only a Paper Moon (Frank sings with a Nelson Riddle [another genius!] arrangement)

Down With Love (Buble and Palmer)

Happiness is a Thing Called Joe (Judy!)

Old Devil Moon (more Frank and Nelson, too)

[kskiska]

11. Wen he wrote April in Paris he was criticized

because he'd never been to Paris. When asked about it he said, "I wrote Over the Rainbow, too, and I'd never been there, either."

[valerief]

12. Ha! Great answer. nt